Within the kingdom of Lamia, in the town of Frell, a baby girl named Ella is born to Sir Peter and his wife Lady Eleanor. She is given the "gift of obedience" by a misguided and obnoxious fairy called Lucinda. This turns out to be more of a curse, as it forces Ella to do anything she is told to do, even if the command is against her wishes. Ella's mother, on her deathbed, warns her daughter not to tell anyone about the curse she is under, for fear that someone might use it to exploit Ella. After her mother's death, only Mandy, the household fairy, knows the secret.